Billionaire's Hidden Desire**

Chapter 25: A Day of Despair

The sun shone brightly over the city as Ivy decided to take a rare day off from her turbulent routine. With her mood slightly improved and a rare moment of relative calm, she felt the urge to get some fresh air. The penthouse had become a confining space, and she longed for a brief escape from the endless cycle of stress and frustration.

Celeste and Evelyn were busy with errands, leaving Ivy alone for a few hours. With a deep breath and a newfound resolve, she put on a light summer dress and headed out into the warm, invigorating sunlight. The idea of a peaceful stroll through the nearby park seemed like a small slice of normalcy amidst the chaos of her life.

The park was a green oasis, a welcome contrast to the sterile confines of the penthouse. Ivy walked slowly along the winding paths, taking in the beauty of the blooming flowers and the soothing sounds of nature. For a brief moment, she allowed herself to relax, letting the tension of the past weeks melt away.

However, the fleeting sense of peace was soon shattered. As she rounded a corner, her phone buzzed with an incoming call. The caller ID showed an unfamiliar number, but with a sense of dread, Ivy answered.

“Hello?”

The voice on the other end was smooth, but laced with a chilling undertone. “Ivy, it’s Alessandra. I’ve been waiting for this moment.”

Ivy’s heart skipped a beat, and her sense of unease deepened. “What do you want, Alessandra?”

“Oh, just a chat,” Alessandra’s voice purred. “I’ve been keeping an eye on you. It’s clear that you’re struggling, and I couldn’t help but take advantage of the situation.”

Panic gripped Ivy. “What are you talking about? Why are you doing this?”

Before Alessandra could respond, Ivy heard a rustling sound and felt a hand grip her arm tightly. She spun around to find Alessandra standing behind her, a smirk on her face.

“Alessandra! What the hell?” Ivy exclaimed, trying to pull away.

Alessandra’s eyes gleamed with malicious intent. “I told you, I’m here to take what’s mine. Lucien was never yours to keep. And now, you’re about to see just how far I’m willing to go.”

In a sudden move, Alessandra reached for a small vial in her purse and tossed its contents into Ivy’s face. The liquid was cold and had a sharp, acrid smell. Ivy gasped, her vision blurring as she stumbled backward.

“Help!” Ivy tried to scream, but her voice was barely audible. She felt disoriented and weak, her body reacting violently to the substance. Alessandra watched with a cold, satisfied smile as Ivy collapsed onto the grass.

As Ivy lay there, struggling to stay conscious, Alessandra quickly disappeared into the park’s foliage, leaving her victim behind. The scene was chaotic, with people starting to notice the commotion and gathering around.

Meanwhile, at the penthouse, Celeste and Evelyn were finishing their errands when they noticed the time. Realizing that Ivy had been gone longer than expected, they grew concerned and decided to check on her.

Their worry turned to panic when they arrived at the park and found no sign of Ivy. Celeste frantically dialed Ivy’s phone, but there was no answer. They started searching the area, calling out her name and asking passersby if they had seen her.

The tension heightened as they finally reached the spot where Ivy had been last seen. The park was crowded now, with police and paramedics arriving on the scene. Celeste’s heart raced as she saw the medics treating a woman lying on the grass.

“Ivy!” Celeste’s voice was a desperate cry as she pushed through the crowd. She gasped in horror when she saw Ivy’s pale, unconscious form. The paramedics were attending to her, but Ivy looked gravely ill.

“What happened?” Evelyn demanded, her voice shaking. “Is she going to be okay?”

One of the paramedics looked up, concern etched on his face. “She’s been exposed to some kind of toxic substance. We need to get her to the hospital immediately.”

The paramedics carefully loaded Ivy into the ambulance, and Celeste and Evelyn followed close behind, their minds reeling with fear and confusion. The drive to the hospital was fraught with tension, and the atmosphere in the ambulance was somber.

When they arrived at the hospital, the staff rushed Ivy into the emergency room. Celeste and Evelyn were left in the waiting area, their faces pale with worry. The hospital seemed to close in around them as they waited for news.

Hours passed, each minute feeling like an eternity. The media had caught wind of the situation, and soon reporters began crowding the hospital entrance, adding to the chaos. The situation was spiraling out of control, and the emotional strain on Celeste and Evelyn was palpable.

Finally, a doctor emerged, his expression grave. “Ivy is in stable condition now. The substance she was exposed to caused severe reactions, but we managed to stabilize her. We need to keep her under observation for a while.”

Celeste and Evelyn breathed a collective sigh of relief, though their anxiety was far from over. “What about the substance?” Evelyn asked. “What was it?”

“We’re still testing it,” the doctor replied. “But it’s clear that it was meant to harm her. We’ll need to keep her here for a few more days to ensure there are no long-term effects.”

As the doctor left, the gravity of the situation began to sink in. Celeste and Evelyn knew that Alessandra was behind this, and the threat she posed was now more real than ever. The penthouse, once a place of relative safety, now felt like a distant memory of normalcy.

With Ivy in the hospital and the media frenzy intensifying, Lucien’s return could not come soon enough. Celeste and Evelyn were left to grapple with the fallout, their resolve to protect Ivy from further harm strengthened by the harrowing events of the day.

As the sun set over the city, the penthouse stood empty and silent, a stark reminder of the chaos that had unfolded. The future remained uncertain, but one thing was clear: the battle against Alessandra and the challenges ahead were far from over.